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6 Types of Conflict in Stories
6 Types of Conflict in Stories
Conflict
Conflict is the dramatic
struggle between opposing
forces in a story. Without
conflict, there is no plot.
Protagonist vs. Antagonist
The protagonist (main character) struggles against
the antagonist in the story’s main conflict.
The antagonist can be a person, idea, emotion,
decision, nature, rules and laws.
Protagonist vs. Antagonist
It is easiest to think of the
protagonist and antagonist
characters as the "good guy"
(hero) and the "bad guy"
(villain) respectively.
To remember which is which,
remember that the prefix pro-
means good, or positive, and
the prefix ant- means bad, or
negative.
Protagonist
The protagonist is the central character of a story.
The protagonist can be male or female, and is
written as being “good” most of the time, but in
some instances can be “bad.”
The plot of a story is often written from the
protagonist's point of view. Consider the story
“The Three Little Pigs.” In the original story, the
three pigs are the protagonists and the wolf is the
antagonist.
The Real Story of The Three Little Pigs is written
from the wolf's point of view. In it, the wolf becomes
the protagonist and the pigs are the antagonists.
Antagonist
The character that causes or leads the conflict
against the protagonist is called the antagonist.
The antagonist is not always human, but can be a
group or force as well.
The antagonist is the mirror of the protagonist.
Whatever the protagonist does that is good, the
antagonist will work to counteract.
Usually the antagonist attempts to disguise
him/her/itself. This usually creates the suspense in
a story.
Six Types of Conflict
Character vs. Self